2021 TESTS
TUGACYCLING prepares debut in 2021 with FIRST TEAM TRAINING
ERICEIRA / MAFRA received the first TRAINING of the time.
On April 29, the masters team held the first training session of the season, which chose Ericeira - Mafra as their destination. The competitive debut will take place next Saturday, the 8th and 9th of May, with the participation of TugaCycling in the Grande Premio Baixo Alentejo, where our team on the 8th will have two stages, first a time trial by teams where they will have to travel 21km, still on this day but in the afternoon, we will follow the 1st stage with 80 km with a cumulative 600D +.
On May 9 follows the second and last stage with 98km with an accumulated of 1000D +.
On this day, Nuno Alves, sporting director of TugaCycling, a former cyclist with several participations in Volta a Portugal, led the team's work taking into account the upcoming events, Baixo Alentejo Grand Prix and Minho Grand Prix, which starts later than usual due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ivo Alves, Luis Nazaré, Jorge Ramalho, Manuel Fonseca, Jorge Nunes, Joaquim Zagalo, Rui Gonçalves were present. The day started very early with the displacement of several cyclists to the meeting point located in Alverca, after the concentration of the team a small briefing was held.
Where several topics were addressed since the amendments to the regulations, clarifying all existing doubts.
Throughout the training there was still a production of photography and video, in order to be used for publication on social networks and on our official website.
At the end of the training and after the cyclists had completed about 110km with an accumulated 1500D + at an average of 31km / h, it was time to meet again.
“It was great to be together. The location chosen for this training was formidable where we can find all types of terrain, where it was possible to work out various intensities. The training was divided into two parts, the first being more focused on the time trial, and after some calm the second part of the training was carried out focusing on the 1st stage of the Grande Premio Baixo Alentejo Prize. The most important of all was meeting with a part of the team, taking into account that we have several cyclists around the country ”, explained Manuel Fonseca a cyclist from the north of the country. This training also served to create a good atmosphere in the group, for that a good team work be done and above all to strengthen the ties already created, said Manuel Fonseca.
Manuel Correia, president of the TugaCyclling Portugal Team / Association, also said, '' It is the first year that we will compete in this Masters class, it will be a new experience for the entire structure, which is still a little limited in terms of means but we want to give one step at a time and not jumping more than the leg, we are working every day to be better. Many of our cyclists already competed at this level will no longer be new to them of what they will find, what they are asked to do is to dignify our jersey. ''
Our thanks to all our sponsors for their support over the years, iNGAMBA Tours, KUKA, KWDautomotive, HigiRecolhas, Nova Casa dos Leitões, Girardin Blue Bird, Concrete Systems, Docks Restaurant.
preview of the Baixo Alentejo Grand Prix
After a year of break, competition at the Master level seems to be back stronger than ever! Much is due to the company EnvolvSport that brought to the road several races, from north to south. For this Grand Prix all teams will want to show off and for this kickoff we cannot predict favoritism. It will be the first race of the year for most cyclists and a very nervous peloton is expected, in which all teams will want to be well positioned.
For this Grand Prix there will be 21 teams and 150 cyclists in the competition, although there are no favoritisms for teams that have something more to say than others, but there may be surprises.
Vidigueira will be the place where the first rides will be given with a time trial by teams in the morning of May 8th.
It will be a long day because, in addition to the CR for Teams, Pelotão will still have a stage in the afternoon of the same day, the time trial with a length of 21km at the start, no great difficulties are expected. At km 9 cyclists have a 1km climb with a slope reaching 6% incline and at the end, very close to the finish line, another climb with an extension of 2km to the finish line installed in Alvito.
At 16 hours the kickoff will be given for the 1st stage that will connect the village of Alvito to Castro Verde for about 80km with a total of only 600D+, about this stage there is not much to say, for sure it will be a Very fast stage and a platoon arrival is expected.
The peloton remains in Castro Verde for the 2nd stage, where it will connect Castro Verde to Serpa, about 98 kilometers and a cumulative 1000D+ is what separates these two Alentejo towns.
For this day the scenario will change, it is expected that rain for this day will soon bring more difficulties to the peloton. The route itself can be said to be the well-known part-legs, where the difficulties will be felt in the last 15 kilometers with an ascent not too steep but quite extensive, and with the accumulation of fatigue the arrival is expected to be made with a very restricted group or even an escape.
Since the last few kilometers will be conducive to giving yourself an escape.
grand prix lower alentejo
On the 8th and 9th of May, our Master Team, made up of cyclists, Ivo Alves, Hélder Loureiro, Manuel Fonseca and Joaquim Correia, attended the Grande Premio Baixo Alentejo.
This prize, which consisted of a Time Trial and two stages in line.
The time trial, a 21 km marathon that connected the road from Vidigueira to Alvito to Tavira, a route that was not demanding but with a finish where the differences were certainly noted. Our team complied with what was asked of it, to do the best possible.
The team completed the 21km in 31m56s with an average of 39.2km/h. Since this is an aspect that the team is not yet familiar with, we can say that we have exceeded expectations.
Also on the 8th of May, at 4 pm, the kick-off for the 1st stage of this Grand Prix was fired, a track with 80km and around 600D+.
Ivo Alves, conquered the leadership of his Master M60 class of this Grand Prix Baixo Alentejo, thus wearing the pink jersey, leaving the 2nd placed 4 minutes away enough margin for the 2nd Stage.
In the last 5 km, there was a fall in the peloton, catching our team that was trying to get to the finish in sprint.
We are thus prevented from entering the stage dispute.
For the 2nd and last stage, the only thing left for the team was to try to guarantee the leadership of Ivo Alves and try to dispute the stage if it were to reach the sprint.
The day woke up cloudy and with rain the peloton in this stage would cover about 100km with 1000D+ which would link Castro Verde to Serpa.
In this stage, the first hour was performed at a speed of 40km/h.
Halfway through the stage, our leader M60 Ivo Alves already followed with an 8-minute lead over the runner-up, which gave him a quiet advantage to reach the end of the stage and celebrate.
The biggest bad luck came, our cyclist Ivo Alves had a mechanical problem that forced him to stop, and it was not possible to repair it, he was forced to give up.
In this Grand Prix disputed by Alentejo lands, it was possible to withdraw positive points for the next races, our thanks to the cyclists present and many congratulations.
RATINGS
AGAINST THE CLOCK
GENERAL TEAMS
1st CPR A-DO-BARBAS ....00:28:42
2nd UCA .................................. 00:28:52
3rd NURSERY ......................... 00:28:57
4th VULCAL ..........................00:29:10
10th OLIVE......... 00:30:14
20th TUGACYCLING ........ 00:31:50
24th AMARO ANTUNES ...00:32:41
1st ONLINE STAGE (ALVITO - CASTRO VERDE)
GENERAL TEAMS
1st CPR A-DO-BARBAS ..........05:35:30
2nd NURSERY VL ..........................05:35:30
3rd GRANDOLENSE .............. 05:35:30
20th TUGACYCLING .............. 05:50:59
23rd PEDAL LUNATICS ...... 06:02:35
General Individual
1st Bruno Saraiva (CPR A-DO-BARBAS) ..... 01:51:50
2nd André Filipe (CPR A-DO-BARBAS) ........ 01:51:50
3rd John the Baptist (ALMODOVAR) .................... 01:51:50
101st Helder Loureiro (TUGACYCLING) .... 01:53:24 - M30 40 °PLACE
108th Manuel Fonseca (TUGACYCLING) ... 01:58:11 - M40 35 °PLACE
123º Ivo Alves (TUGACYCLING) .................02:00:58 - M60 1st PLACE
155º Joaquim Correia (TUGACYCLING) ...02:05:01 - M40 50 °PLACE
171st Dinis Mantas (AMARO ANTUNES) ....02:27:02
Unfortunately these are difficult times for all of us. We are going through uncertain times, sometimes moving forward, sometimes retreating, we were forced to avoid the street and human contact to ensure the control of the pandemic, Coronavirus (Covid-19). We still don't know how long this will last, but we cannot let fear occupy our minds.
It is time to hope and believe that better days are to come.
And for this fact, we cannot forget to thank the organizing company ENVOLVSPORT.
That, given the current state of the country, they managed to gather and create all the conditions for the Master squad to return to the road.
When a competent team is assembled, it is almost certain that the fruits will be worth reaping. But EnvolvSport exceeded all expectations and went even further than expected. Congratulations to all of you!
For us, as the TugaCycling Association, it is a pride to have participated in your first competition and to share our passion that is certainly yours. Competence and commitment are perhaps the best words that describe all the elements involved in EnvolvSport.
If you continue to work with that professionalism, disposition and dedication, your future is sure to be bright. Once again congratulations! Good work!
grand prize ALTO MINHO
The race that marked the return of amateur cycling to the north, presented itself with a very demanding route, through Serra do Soajo in the heart of the Natural Park of Peneda-Gerês.
This prize is divided into an individual time trial of 11km and 2 more stages in line, the 1st stage connecting Ponte da Barca to Arcos de Valdevez over a 75 km length with a cumulative 1400D+, the 2nd stage connecting Vila P. Anchor to Merufe a distance of 101km and with a not sweet 2158D+ accumulated.
For this Grand Prix we have the presence of a single cyclist, Luís Silva.
With the weather making life difficult for the peloton, our cyclist Luís Silva completed his individual time trial in 19 minutes and 7 seconds at an average of 35km/h getting 84th place overall and 14th place at the elite level.
In the afternoon there was still the 1st stage with a lot of rain throughout the stage. The initial 35 km were covered at a good pace, not allowing for the formation of leaks.
After the initial kilometers began the first difficulties of the day with entry into the Natural Park of Peneda-Gerês with the first climbs to appear, and from here on the whole peloton lost several cyclists who could not keep up with the pace imposed in front of it.
At the end of this stage Luís Silva finished the stage in 102nd place overall and 15th place in the elite class.
“It was a very tough day with the weather conditions not helping the entire stage“, advanced Luís Silva, who regretted not having been able to position himself further forward as he intended. “I tried to do my best as always, it was my first race of the year and my body hasn't adapted yet, but I'm satisfied with my performance,” he concluded.
For the 2nd stage our cyclist unfortunately could not do the same, due to the logistics of moving from the starting point to the arrival point for the cyclist and for the team, it was not possible for us to be present.
Thank you Luis Silva.
Photo EnvelvSport
Alentejo coast grand prix
Ivo Alves, TuagCycling Team rider, finished the 1st Stage of the Grand Prix in 2nd place in the M60 class. A good performance from the team, which put Hélder Loureiro in a good position to discuss this stage of the sprint.
Costa Alentejana Grand Prix, a race that marked the return of master cycling to the Alentejo in the village where you can breathe Liberdade, this 1st Stage with departure and arrival in Vila de Grândola presented itself with a very demanding track, up and down the Serra , under intense heat over the 86 km.
For this Grand Prix, 24 teams with 140 cyclists were registered.
With the weather making life difficult for the peloton and with the starting shot at 4 pm, the whole stage was another high-speed contest, as is usual in these events, however the first difficulty of the day was found right after 5 km with the Subida das Silveiras with a length of 4 km with an average slope of 4.6%.
The peloton soon began to lose elements due to the speed imposed by the main teams, in the first hour of the race 41km were covered.
This Grand Prix was played in the form of a circuit where cyclists would have to overcome the same difficulties to double.
Our cyclists always managed to be well placed within the peloton.
With the arrival in Vila de Grândola and already with the compact platoon, it only remained for the stage to be discussed in the sprint, where Hélder Loureiro tried to enter the discussion of the stage, finishing in 32nd General and 11th M30. Ivo Alves finished this stage a little later but always with his more direct opponents, 132nd General and 2nd M60, our cyclist Joaquim Correia was forced to abandon due to physical problems.
Everything was open for the 2nd Stage Alcácer Do Sal.
The good weather continued for this second day of competition, where once again the sun was the biggest enemy of cyclists and this was also joined by the wind.
For this 2nd Stage, the course did not present great difficulties, however the final part of the stage ended slightly uphill.
Throughout the stage there were several attacks, where the main teams always controlled these attacks, not letting them gain a big advantage.
Ivo Alves was well positioned with the leader of his M60 step, until at km 47, where he had already spent the biggest difficulties of the day, a hole appeared, where he was forced to stop and call the support car that was in another group. in advance, after being assisted, 70 km were always on the ground and against the wind, failing to reach his group.
On arrival at Vila de Alcácer do Sal and again with the compact peloton, Hélder Loureiro with 2 km to the end of the stage decided to attack where he was reached 300 meters from the finish line, it was very close, but showing good indicators for the future.
It is regrettable what happened with our cyclist Ivo Alves, who for the second time in a row returned to puncture, being prevented from discussing the leadership of his class.
But all tests are learning, in the future we will improve, step by step we follow our path always with our feet on the ground.
“It was a tough race, always done at high speed. but bad luck knocked at the door again, another puncture. These are circumstances of the race.'' words from Ivo Alves.
“In the end it was a matter of luck, anyone could win. I was in the fight, I felt good and I tried to attack and I gave everything I had but unfortunately 300 meters from the goal I was reached, now we have to continue the work and for the next one who knows if victory doesn't knock at the door, today they won the strongest.” concluded Hélder Loureiro
Manuel Correia, President of TugaCycling, said that “this was a well-fought race, the team did well. We had the misfortune of the puncture of Ivo Alves, who took the opportunity for him to compete for the leadership of his class or at least make the podium. But everyone did well and dignified the sponsors, we are marking our space, this is our first year and our first adventure, we are always learning”.
GERÊS GRANFONDO/BIKE SERVICE
After some time at the Granfondos, due to the pandemic that we are still going through, Bike Service got down to work and once again carried out an extraordinary job, another Granfondo that will certainly be memorable.
The Gerês Granfondo marks the return of these mythical races open to all lovers of this sport, the Bike Service for this Granfondo presented three routes, Minifondo with 77km and 1080 D+, Mediofondo with 101km and 1950D+ and the Granfondo with 117km and 2150D+.
Our team was represented at Mediofondo by cyclist Diogo Almeida who did a race within what was expected once he left the last pits, with the objective of doing his best to help in the team's classification, completed his Mediofondo in 04H52m, staying at 316th General and at Master A 79th Place.
At Granfondo, the team's objective was to place an athlete as well positioned as possible in order to be among the best in the first difficulties of the day.
In the Granfondo, Luis Silva, Hélder Loureiros, Manuel Fonseca lined up.
Given the starting order at 9:00, there was the compact peloton, with a very lively rhythm, but neither team wanted to take the lead of the peloton, Hélder Loureiro took the lead several times, in order to show our colors and say that we are not just another team and that we are convinced of what we want.
The peloton followed compact and good pace in the first hour of the race the average was above 40km/h, until reaching the first difficulty of the day the ascent of the Portela do Vale 6km climb with an average slope of 3.8% incline, here the selection of the front group began and the platoon was completely broken.
In front of the group followed Hélder Loureiro along with the favorite, João Moreira of the Love Tiles Cycling Sports Team, leaving Luis Silva and Manuel Fonseca in another group later, thus finding the right rhythm to overcome what was to come. Manuel Fonseca was later forced to slow down due to muscle pain.
At 70km the last climb of Germil 12km with an average slope of 5.6% and with the heat making itself felt, it was expected that the climb would not be easy.
And as expected, a strong attack by João Moreira happened right away in the initial kilometers, thus making the front group even smaller, Hélder Loureiro decided not to respond to the attack since there was still a lot to climb.
In the end, Hélder Loureiro finished his Granfondo with an excellent 9th General result and in the Master A 5th Place category, an excellent test of our cyclist.
Manuel Fonseca despite some limitations and after finding his rhythm finished in 87th General and in the Master B category 28th Place despite the limitations was an excellent result.
Luis Silva finished 147th General and Master A 48th Place.
In terms of Team classification we almost managed to make the podium, our team being 4th place by very little.
All our cyclists are to be congratulated for the excellent race they performed.
OURENSE STRADE THERMAL
Luis Silva headed to Spanish lands to dispute the Ourense Strade Termal, being our team's first cap this year.
The Ourense Strade Termal is a classic type event as in the highest level of professional cycling, with about 125 kilometers and 1800D+ of accumulated, with about 5 sectors of clay and with a lot of pave to the mix.
This event took place in the small Spanish village, Lobios, which belongs to the province of Ourense which is part of the Galician community, Lobios is known for its magnificent thermal pool in the middle of a unique nature, the thermal pool is completely free for anyone visiting Lobios.
''The day started very early with the alarm going off at 05:00 and without delay, get up for breakfast and head to Lobios.
Reaching Lóbios lift the last dorsal checks and head to the start line. 09:00 (08:00) in Portugal departure, controlled pace in the first km, BRUTAL terrato landscapes, deserted roads fantastic! Always constant pace until there is a stop at the Portuguese border, fueled we go to the most "brutal" land" then leaving the village in a hole in the road not very visible double hole!!!!
I changed the air chamber in a tire but I needed another one that I didn't have! I had to wait almost 1 hour for the assistance car to arrive with the latest athletes. Another moment when EVERYTHING goes through your head, you are there in the middle of nowhere with no net, just you and the bike, once again the easiest thing was to give up but... it's not for a tuga.
I waited almost 1 hour for a second air chamber. Changed air chamber, it went deep with vigor and emotion surpassing many, athletes who saw me sitting there on the ground helpless with two punctured wheels and many didn't even ask if everything was ok and so it went until the final goal, give everything for me and by those who believe in me! Result doesn't matter, but overcoming one more time!''
Luís Silva returned from a serious injury after almost a year of recovery, which was due to the fact that he was unfortunately run over.
This Ourense Strade Thermal finished in 104th place in the general classification, with a time of 05H50M40sec.
Luis Silva ''It was a very beautiful race with unique landscapes and a fantastic organization, I'm still looking for my best form that little by little I'm feeling more available, it was gratifying for me to have participated in this race, however what more What was surprising was that they recognized the TugaCycling team, where I was approached by several athletes referring that they accompanied our team, surprising that the TugaCycling team was recognized across borders''
Once again we thank our riders for taking our colors across borders.
grafonndo lady of grace
The Granfondo Senhora da Graça test carried out by Cabreira Solutions, perhaps one of the toughest tests in terms of Granfondos carried out in mainland Portugal.
The Granfondo da Senhora da Graça had three different courses: Minifondo with 53km and 1300D+, Mediofondo with 102km and 2300D+ and the Granfondo with 142km and 3350D+.
For this Granfondo, our team played with four athletes, at Mediofondo with Pedro Ferreira and at Granfondo with Hélder Loureiro, Luís Silva and Tiago Crespo.
The day was gray with temperatures a little low for this time of year, and even with rain forecast, it can be said that the day was not at all inviting.
Given the starting shot at Granfondo, our team took the lead of the peloton once again, until km 7 where the first climbs began to appear, from here on other teams, Love Tiles and Cadão, started to take over the race, imposing a very fast pace. strong where it immediately split the peloton getting the peloton reduced to 50 cyclists.
The first climb and the first difficulty was reaching the ascent to Alto da Barra climb with about 12 km in length and skimming 1000 meters of altitude, the climb was done at a good pace but the worst was not the ascent but yes the descent, cold around 8° degrees with rain and fog at the end of the climb, there were only 20 cyclists left.
On this first climb, our cyclists, not wanting to get into madness, decided to find their own rhythm and took off from the front group.
We made this Granfondo in a controlled way backwards, the time and the route itself was not inviting.
At the end of this Granfondo we ended up having a very positive record, Hélder Loureiro, Tiago Crespo and Luís Silva knew how to manage their forces and were surpassing several athletes who had followed in the main group.
We ended up with Hélder Loureiro in 18th place in General and 11th in Master A level, Tiago Crespo in 33rd place in General and 15th in Master A level, Luís Silva in 74th place in General and in 33rd place in the Master A step.
In the mediofondo Pedro Ferreira finished 142nd General and 33rd Luagr in Master B Echelon.
While the classification by teams we got an excellent 5th place.
Luís Silva "What many don't see, for me it's more than a competition, it's an overcoming, due to my limitations and the effort made, the next day I couldn't even walk I could get a completely inflamed ankle, only with the help of medication, so there is to enjoy while we can, life is too short!! DO WHAT YOU LIKE!"
Hélder Loureiro "In the middle of the stage, at the end of the first climb, it was very hard, intense cold rain and many people gave up with hypothermia. It was 5 to 6 km going down very hard and demanding in terms of the weather."
Tiago Crespo "I can't complain, I feel I gave my best, but maybe better managed, you can do better, but the experience is for next time."
Our thanks to our cyclists who once again defended our colors with all their determination in this difficult Granfondo.
AVEIRO SPRING CLASSIC
A true Classic this Aveiro Spring Classic, this event is divided into two Short Classic courses with 89km and a cumulative 400D+, the Long Classic with 120km and 450D+.
And as a good classic this was no exception, the cyclists were faced with several sectors in dirt, pave, and asphalt, worthy of a true classic.
We went to this race with four cyclists Diogo Almeida in the Clássica Curta, and in the Clássica Longa Hélder Loureiro, Raul Ramos and Luís Silva.
We had good prospects for this race as the accumulated was not demanding, and suited the characteristics of our cyclists.
At 9:00 am, the kick-off was fired, with a pleasant day, not feeling too hot.
The first kilometers were done at a leisurely pace. Our cyclist Hélder Loureiro, with high expectations, started attacking with the intention of forming a breakout, but the main teams did not line up, allowing himself to be caught by the peloton.
After 20 km, the ACR A-do-Barbas team decided to start the race that none of them wanted to take on that responsibility so far, and began to impose a higher pace. At km 45 on a ramp, the platoon began to lose elements, leaving a group of around 60 elements.
From here, the first escape initiatives began to appear, in the second sector of the strato, there was a flight of 5 elements. From then on, the pace was very high, in each sector of the terrain the speed increased more and more and little by little several cyclists were taking off.
In the passage through the sector of witch sterrtao sterrtao da witch the group of about 40 cyclists was reduced to only 18 cyclists, 2km on land, holes, jumps, ditches and sand where the average speed was around 50 km/ H.
After passing through this sector, there was an escape with only one cyclist, in which he gained an advantage of approximately 3 minutes.
In this group of 18 cyclists, the pace was always quite high until the finish line, where each turn was fought for the best position.
When we reached the finish line, our cyclist, inserted in the chasing group, and in a poorly marked left turn, entered badly placed and lost about 10 meters. However, he was still looking for the best possible classification and tried to enter the sprint to discuss the 2nd and 3rd place.
In the end Hélder Loureiro still got an excellent 12th General and an 8th in Master A.
Hélder Loureiro '' I tried to enter the final sprint for 2 or 3 place but it didn't work. The test was tough due to the rhythm, the sterrtao and the concentration to get rid of the falls. I advise it's a top classic.''
In another record, we had Luís Silva in the competition, who preferred not to follow the lead group due to the danger of the backyard sectors, following at his pace, achieving the following classification 109th General 53rd Master A.
Raul Ramos was a good surprise, this event adapted well to his roller characteristics, always managing to impose a constant pace and in the end he gave an excellent result 141st General 10th Master C, achieving an excellent TOP 10 in his class Master C.
In Clássica Curta we were represented by Diogo Almeida, who did his test at his own pace, and which will improve in the future, however some evolution can already be seen at the end of 94th General 27th Master A.
Congratulations to all cyclists.
MASTERS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
MASTERS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Saturday and Sunday, July 17th and 18th, our TugaCycling Team was present at the National Masters Championship, which took place in A-Do-Barbas, Maceira, Leiria, on July 17th we had the time trial ahead individual with a length of 18km.
In the individual time trial we were present with Tiago Encarnação, Rui Gonçalves, Ivo Alves and Manuel Fonseca, we highlight the excellent result of Ivo Alves in his Master 50 step, he completed the 18km in 31m41sec with an average of 34.5km/h, achieving an excellent 4th place, only 1m26sec from the 3rd place, here the difference of using a specific time trial bike made its differences.
Tiago Encarnação, a former athlete who worked at various cycling training clubs, and currently responsible for the PowerLab company where he monitors several athletes, thus returned to competition, where his goal is to gain rhythm in this modality, performed the time trial and finished it in 30th Place.
Rui Gonçalves, also still with some lack of rhythm due to the fact that he has not participated in any competition this year, despite giving good indications, completed the time trial where he got a 27th place.
Manuel Fonseca, competing in the Master 40 class, possibly one of the most competitive classes, managed to get an excellent 19th place.
For the second day, July 18th, our team had the national championship in front of us, where we masked our presence with 4 athletes in different levels, who had to complete several laps of the 12 km circuit according to their level.
The first laps of the circuit were very tough, not only because of the layout of the circuit but also because they were done at a high speed.
In the Master30 step, where our cyclist Rui Gonçalves was part of the peloton, in one of the laps and when passing a hump, his handlebar gave way, and he, fearing it would give up again, abdicated his race and consciously not to cause any fall in the peloton ended up giving up with only 3 laps to go.
Ivo Alves, running in the Master50 step, was always well placed in his group on the 3rd lap and after having passed another climb he gave up about 10 meters, which were irretrievable for the main group, it was up to him to continue and try to do his best in the end it gave an excellent 5th place.
Manuel Fonseca in Master40 finished his race in 19th place, Daniel Matos finished his race at an average of 35km/h in 21st place, 13min from the 1st
Many thanks to all cyclists, thanks to our friends and family who accompanied us on this very important day for our athletes.
It's good to see the streets full of people supporting this sport again.
“The National Masters Championship is always an important race. Several national titles are up for grabs and it's a race that we wanted to be present this season, we would like to have more athletes but we are amateurs and sometimes our personal life doesn't allow it, however in general we are satisfied and with a taste almost like a podium from our Ivo Alves certainly that next year you're going to make him and all our cyclists better”, said Manuel Fonseca, President of the TugaCycling Team.
BACK STAGE - GUARD
IN UPDATE
CHRONO CLIMBING SERRA DO LAROUCO
CHRONO CLIMBING SERRA DO LAROUCO
Serra do Larouco is a Portuguese mountain located in the province of Trás-os-Montes, in the municipality of Montalegre, district of Vila Real. Its name derives from the name of the Celtic God Larauco, who also gave his name to Larouco.
It is the third highest elevation in mainland Portugal, with 1535 meters of altitude and 423 m of topographic prominence; it is located on the border of the district of Vila Real with Galicia. This mountain range is part of the Peneda-Gerês mountain system.
The Serra do Larouco Cronoescalada is a time trial but always uphill, with a total length of 10.09km and 546mt D+ and 5.5% of average slope, disputed in a time trial system, with individual matches from minute to minute .
Diogo Almeida, a cyclist from the lands of Viriato, Viseu, headed to Montalegre to compete in the Cronoescalda Serra do Larouco event held by Cabreira Solutions.
Here is the summary of our athlete's day.
" On the 28th of August in the afternoon, I followed the trip to Montalegre to fulfill the challenge of the Cronoescalada Serra do Larouco that was going to be held on the 29th, honestly I didn't know what I would find, I went to meet the unknown, however I knew that the same climb would be tough since a stage of the Volta a Portugal passed in that same location, and I could clearly see the suffering faces of the professionals.
August 29, day of the race, the day started very early. I got up at 7:30 am to put energy into my body since I only left at 10:18 am, I had to eat about 2-3 hours before my departure, this meal is like carbohydrate base.
After the energy was restored, it was time to go wear the magnificent TugaCycling Kit made by the renowned brand GIORDANA, and as such, in addition to being very beautiful, its comfort is second to none, heating made by the beautiful streets of Montalegre, the time has come and now it will be .
10:18 am going to the start ramp with the commissioner of the Portuguese Cycling Federation counting down to the start, I'm already on the road at an average pace so I don't waste all my energy at the start because they had indicated before that the last 4km would go be very tough and the goal was to finish and have a good time.
A climb with a wonderful landscape the weather was pleasant with sun but not too hot which is good, during the ascent there was no audience, it was just the GNR and the race participants who after finishing had to return to the starting area because there and that was going to be the delivery of the prizes.
Finally, I make the last turn of the climb and see the finish a few meters away and now I can spend all I have, I cross the finish line and think about the challenge completed with a lot of effort because of course it could have been better but the limitation of training from that origin but you can never be discouraged because there will be more competitions and you never know next year I'll be there again and even better."
Once again we thank our rider for representing us in this great and tough race.
GRANFONDO T.VEDRAS MONTEJUNTO
magic desert
magic desert
magic desert
GRANFONDO MONSOON MELGAÇO
IN UPDATE
GRANFONDO TORRES VEDRAS - MONTEJUNTO
On September 5th, we went to the land of cyclist Joaquim Agostinho, where we participated in the Granfondo Torres Vedras- Montejunto.
The GF Torres Vedras Montejunto consists of 3 routes: Granfondo (146km) 1980D+, Mediofondo (103km) 1342D+ and Minifondo (74km) 654D+.
Our team was represented at Minifondo, Mediofondo and Granfonfondo, with a total of 6 riders.
Our riders stood out and once again honored our jersey, some of them almost reaching the podium in their respective category.
By ranking teams we got a great 7th place out of the 14 existing ones.
LUSÃ GRANFONDO
But what a great day this October 17th, 2021, where we were present at Lousã Granfondo, where the weather conditions were not the most favorable, cold and rain and with a lot of mountains in the mix.
Lousã Granfondo was held in the beautiful town of Lousã located in the center of Portugal and known more for its magnificent Aldeias Do Xisto its scenic beauty is breathtaking.
This granfondo presented 3 Minifondo courses with 71km and 782D+, Mediofondo with 101km and 1780D+ and the Granfondo with 135km and 2580D+.
Our team was only present at Granfondo with Tiago Crespo, Pedro Roldão and Luís Silva.
Once again we congratulate the Lousã Granfondo organization for another excellent day they provided.
As for the fact that our cyclists were highlighted, in three cyclists present we got a victory in the Master D category and another top10 in Masters A.
Pedro Roldão, winner of the Master D category, at km 68 followed in 2nd place, managing to recover the 1st position at km 86 where he still managed to recover about 30 places in the general classification, from here on it was just a matter of managing the effort.
Where he crossed the finish line in first place with a 10-minute lead over the 2nd ranked.
Tiago Crespo with a good start always managed to walk in the front and favorites group, this granfondo was tailored to him, at km 86 he followed with an average of 34km/h and followed in 8th place in his Master A step, at km 116 our cyclist ended up recovering 2 places, finishing this tough granfondo in an honorable 6th place in his class, 16 minutes from the 1st place.
Luís Silva had a bad moment, he was caught by a fall, which in turn took him to the ground, fortunately he did not have major bodily or material damage. He finished this granfondo in 32nd place in Master A.
In terms of team classification we were the first of the last, we were in 4th place very close to once again the podium.
Many thanks to all our cyclists
LUIS SILVA
68th General place/32nd Master A
GRANFONDO
PEDRO ROLDÃO
82nd General place/1st Master D
GRANFONDO
TIAGO CRESPO
14th General Place/6th Master A
GRANFONDO
UCI GRANFONDO COIMBRA
But what a great day this October 17th, 2021, where we were present at Lousã Granfondo, where the weather conditions were not the most favorable, cold and rain and with a lot of mountains in the mix.
Lousã Granfondo was held in the beautiful town of Lousã located in the center of Portugal and known more for its magnificent Aldeias Do Xisto its scenic beauty is breathtaking.
This granfondo presented 3 Minifondo courses with 71km and 782D+, Mediofondo with 101km and 1780D+ and the Granfondo with 135km and 2580D+.
Our team was only present at Granfondo with Tiago Crespo, Pedro Roldão and Luís Silva.
Once again we congratulate the Lousã Granfondo organization for another excellent day they provided.
As for the fact that our cyclists were highlighted, in three cyclists present we got a victory in the Master D category and another top10 in Masters A.
Pedro Roldão, winner of the Master D category, at km 68 followed in 2nd place, managing to recover the 1st position at km 86 where he still managed to recover about 30 places in the general classification, from here on it was just a matter of managing the effort.
Where he crossed the finish line in first place with a 10-minute lead over the 2nd ranked.
Tiago Crespo with a good start always managed to walk in the front and favorites group, this granfondo was tailored to him, at km 86 he followed with an average of 34km/h and followed in 8th place in his Master A step, at km 116 our cyclist ended up recovering 2 places, finishing this tough granfondo in an honorable 6th place in his class, 16 minutes from the 1st place.
Luís Silva had a bad moment, he was caught by a fall, which in turn took him to the ground, fortunately he did not have major bodily or material damage. He finished this granfondo in 32nd place in Master A.
In terms of team classification we were the first of the last, we were in 4th place very close to once again the podium.
Many thanks to all our cyclists
LUIS SILVA
169th General place / 56th M 19-34
GRANFONDO
IVO ALVES
48th General place/2ndM 60-64
MEDIOFONDO
RAUL RAMOS
79th General place / 9th M 50-54
MEDIOFONDO
JORGE RAMALHO
178th General place/40th M 40-44
MEDIOFONDO
PORTUGUESE TRACK CUP
The 2021 edition of the Portuguese Track Games Santa Casa Cup ended this Saturday, at the National Velodrome, in Sangalhos, Anadia, this race was divided into 2 days with the 1st race being held on November 28th and the 2nd. º test on December 18th.
In both days the discipline of Scratch and Elimination was carried out.
In this competition of the Portuguese Track Cup we had our cyclist Tiago Encarnação, who after an absence extended in these tests, is back and already thinking about 2022, having already set several personal goals, in which one of these goals will surely be the National Time Trial Championship.
Tiago Encarnação in the first SCRATCH race got 8th place, in the second ELIMINATION race he was in 7th place.
"I arrived here with great expectations, but also with some nervousness, it was a long stop, but as the race progressed, I felt good feelings, which for me was great. I hope in the 2nd race to get a better result. " James Incarnation.
"In the competition today were also the categories of veterans, in the scratch and elimination competitions. In the scratch, André Silva (Sicasal / Miticar / Torres Vedras) elite A was the big winner, with Gonçalo Santos (VULCAL / Centro Ciclista do Centro) to conquer the victory in masters 30. José Leite (CPR A do Barbas/AKIplast/PVS) won in masters 40, Carlos Esteves (Academia Joaquim Agostinho) in masters 50 and César Mendonça (Individual) in masters 60.
In the elimination competition André Silva (Sicasal/Miticar/Torres Vedras) again dominated in elite A and Carlos Ferreira (Silva Vinha/ADRAP/Sentir Penafiel) won in masters 30. José Leite (CPR A do Barbas/AKIplast/PVS) also repeated the victory in masters 40, Jorge Ferreira (Casa do Povo de Abrunheira) won in masters 50 and César Mendonça (Individual) won again in masters 60."
The 2nd Competition of the Portuguese Track Cup took place on December 18th and once again featured Scratch and Elimination.
In this race we got 7th place in SCRATCH, already in the second ELIMINATION race it was in 6th place.
" We are very happy with the participation of Tiago Encarnação, in this competition of the Portuguese Track Cup, for us as an Association it is a day that will go down in history, for the 1st time we enter this competition. taking one step at a time, we are working daily to make this Association grow and today we have grown a little more, certainly that next year more athletes from our association will be present." Manuel Correia, President of the TugaCycling Association.
"Among the veterans stood out the masters 30 Gonçalo Santos (Vulcal/Centro Ciclista do Centro), winner of the scratch Cup, and Carlos Ferreira (Silva & Vinha/ADRAP/Sentir Penafiel), best in elimination, the master 40 José Leite (CPR A-do-Barbas/Akiplast/PVS), superior in both disciplines, master 50 Manuel Rodrigues (ACD Milharado/DriveonHolidays/Mafra), first in elimination and scratch, and masters 60 Jaime Ambrósio (Academia Joaquim Agostinho/UDO /CYR), winner of the overall elimination, and César Mendonça, who prevailed in scratch. João Jerónimo (ACD Milharado/DriveonHolidays/Mafra) prevailed in both disciplines in the competitions for elite amateurs."
Source: Portuguese Cycling Federation